Definetly Later
by momewrathsway
Summary: After Charlie and Claire have their first argument, they learn that theres more to the relationship then just friends, and maybe later is alot sooner then they think.
1. regret

It had been three days since the argument. Which, to this third day, had not been an argument in Claire's eyes. Simply a little dispute. But paranoid boys and their fragile egos will always take a women's word the wrong way. Thus, leaving her in a dificult situation. Regret.

She regreted being jelous of Charlie's ability to take care of children, although he'd never been around a baby before. She regreted admiting this insecurity to Locke.

She regreted haveing and attitude with Charlie after she'd learned a new trick, the only thing she could do to keep her own son from screaming. Exspecily since the method of wraping a baby in an air-tight blanket and swaying him back and forth only worked for so long before the kid cought on and realized he was not in a womb, but in fact, an air tight blacket being swayed back and forth and decided to keep on crying.

She regreted loseing her temper and telling Charlie that she didn't need him. That she could take care of her son herself. She regreated makeing her only friend on the island feel worthless. She regreated driveing him away.

And now, as she sat in the shleter that he had built for her out of nothing but the goodness of his heart, watching the baby who'd speant the whole day crying for the very friend she'd drove away, she regreated being stupid enough to think she could survive liveing on an island by herself.

Sure, she could take care of her baby. She knew that. He may be miserable most of the day and leave her wanting to cry herself by the time he finaly got to sleep, but he was still alive. Which was pretty decent for a young women takeing care of a new born on an island. But still, she was now forced to do it alone.

She broke her attention from the sleeping baby long enough to grab a blanket and a pillow near by. She laid the pillow verticaly against a near by tree and leaned back against it, wraping the blanket around herself. She pulled her knees up to her chest and wraped her arms around them, strugling to keep warm.

She sank into the cave of blanket that surounded her and let her eyes wonder across the island. It wasn't long before they cought sight of Charlie, the one person she couldn't bare to distract herself from.

The boy looked miserable. For the last three days he had remained in the same place. Sitting on the rocks, away from all the other castaways, stareing out into space and playing his guitar.

She'd spent a good deal of time watching him.Worrying about him. In the past two days she hadn't seen him move once. Not to get food, not to use the bath room. Not even to streach his legs. And unless he waited untill the late hours in the morning when she was already passed out to rest, he hadn't even slept.

Claire refused to belive that this was her doing. That a simple out burst of flustration from a young mother could hurt someone so much. But the truth was right there in front of her, stareing at the sand as he played his guitar. Here comes the guilt again.

She couldn't handle it much longer. She'd have to talk to him. Not now, though. She couldn't leave Aaron alone. And takeing the risk of wakeing him up would be suicide. No, not tonight. But later.Definetly later.


	2. We'er not

"Hey dude, we need to talk" Hurly declaired as heapproached Charlie, takeing little notice to the fact that the boy had been playing an anti-social concert to himself for the past three days. Charlie looked up, blinking a few times. He felt like he'd been stareing at nothing but his own lap for hours. The last time he'd looked up it was still dark.

Now it was morning. Bright, blinding, island morning._ I fucking hate this island_, he thought to himself, squinting at the giant before him as he laid his guitar aside. Hurly stopped in front of him for a long ass time and simply stared.

"What?" Charlie finaly blurted out, giveing his friend a confused look.

"Not to intrude on your merital life, I know you and Claire had a fight. But the kid won't shut up. I'm thinking it has something to do with you" Hurly confronted simply, takeing a seat beside him.

Charlie shot him an anagry glance for about a split second, then shook his head and looked away. He decided it might be better to ignore there comment then to take the breath and energy to correct it. But after sitting in silence for an awkward moment and haveing Hurly stare at him, he reconsidered.

"Hurly, incase you didn't notice, Claire and I aren't married. We're not engaged, we're not dateing, we're not fuck buddies. Aaron is not my son. Aaron is not my responsabilty. If you have a problem with him you can take it up with his mother" Charlie concluded in one simple snap that left Hurly gapeing in confusion.

"Uh, dude...i didn't mean-" Hurly tried to defend himself, wondering what had left his friend so moody all of a sudden. Then again, with Charlie, it could be anything. The kid was a PMS parade and he didn't even have a cycle.

"Just...back off" Charlie muttered, trying to calm down a bit. He knew Hurly was jokeing. He didn't know about the fight. No one did. No one noticed that him and Claire had stopped spending time together. Or that he'd speant all his time alone ever since.

"Yeah. No problem" Hurly nodded, deciding it would be best to do as told and leave the brit alone, even if he was acting weird. Hurly gave him a slight smile to prove that there were no hard feelings stured from the outburst, and wondered off, once again, leaving Charlie alone.

A blur of time past as he picked at the strings of his guitar, which had become highlydurable in the last couple of days due to his exsesive playing.

The lack of sleep and food and the bright island sun must have been getting to him, because his senses lacked the ability to detect the fact that Claire had been standing a foot away from him for a good few minutes before she finaly spoke up.

"Charlie" She broke the silence, arms crossed under her chest as she stared at him in concern and slight amusement. His head snaped up in surprise. Not just from the fact that someone had been standing there, but the fact that_Claire_ had beenstanding there. After the initial shock, he remebered that he wasallegedly pissed at her and looked away again.

"I was wrong" She blurted out, a little disapointed in the way he was acting. Boys and their egos. He couldn't just be the sweet Charlie that took care of her and her baby and jump off the rock and apologize. Noooooo, he had to be _edgy_. He had to pretend he didn't care. He had to make her feel like shit.

"About?" He questioned, setting his guitar aside. Claire sighed._ Why couldn't he make this easy? Oh well,I deserve it._

"About thinkingI could take care of everything alone" She explained bluntly. "Looks to me like your doing fine" He noted, stareing back at her with tired, empty eyes.

"Well...I'm not." She confirmed, not really prepared with a comeback. He looked away again.

"Look. I can take care of Aaron. I know your only trying to help and I apreciate that your willing to do so much, but he is _my_ son. You have to let _me_ take care of him" She insisted, kneeling down in front of Charlie so that the they were almost leveled. She could tell from the expression on his face that this was not the apology he was looking for.

"I don't need you to take care of Aaron" She began, laying her hand on top of his. "But I do need someone to take care of me" She explained, trying her best to smile. The attempt must have worked because after a moment, he smiled back.

_Thisis reasureing. Thisis good. Smileing means he isntmad. Or atleast, not mad enough to not smile. Ok, Claire, focus._

"And I'm sorry about blowing up at you. You've done nothing wrong. Its just...I'm on an island you know, I'm prone to be-" Claire tried to explaine, searching for the right word.

"Moody?" Charlie injected, raiseing his eye brow. Claire laughed slightly. "Yes. Moody" She nodded in agreement, smileing to herself.

"Its ok, Claire. I know you weren't trying to make me want to jump off a cliff or anything. I just...I overeacted" He assured, trying to take a little of the guilt of her shoulders. Claire smiled. This was going alot better then she had anticipated.

"We should have done this two days ago" Claire noted, smiling playfully. "I know, right? My fingers are killing me" Charlie noted sarcasticly, although there was some truth in his words. The indents he'd gotten on his fingers from the guitar strings were pretty painfull. He hadn't really noticed it untill now.

"Aw" Claire pouted, looking down at his hands. There was a slight discomfort in the wayshe leand over his lap, inspecting his hand.

It wasn't really that he wasn't enjoying it. It was great being close to Claire again. Letting her take care of him. But he knew that to any passer-by, her hovering over his lap would look very inaproprate. He shifted uncomfortably and pulled his hand away.

"Its not that bad. Its what I get for playing so much" Charlie assured, leaning back on his palms in order to give them something to do besides sit on his lap at Claire's disposial.

"I know. You've been doing nothing but play for the past three days" Claire noted with a scoff. Charlie shot her a confused look.

"So you've been spying on me, then?" He questioned playfully, raiseing an eye brow. "Well...watching you" She corrected, feeling a little embarrased. "I was worried about you. You looked so wounded. Have you even eaten since..." Claire questioned, giveing him a concerned look.

"Since you blew me off? No" Charlie answered, giveing her a playfull smile. Claire blushed. "Well come on. Lets get you some food" Claire insited, pulling at his shirt playfully before riseing to her feet. Charlie hopped up and travled close behind.

It was nice walking with Claire on the beach again. Holding his guitar in one hand, the other dangling at his side. To his surprise, Claire took it. She tangled her fingers with his and swung their arms back and forth between them, looking around idaly as if there was nothing awkward between them.

After a moment, Charlie relaxed. It didn't feel so weird after all. Holding hands with Claire was nice. Very nice. Even if they weren't talking.

"Man. I've never seen you eat that fast" Claire notted, sitting next to Charlie on a log by the comunity fire. Charlie blushed and whiped his mouth on the back of his hand. "Well...I was hungry" Charlie replied with a shrug. Claire smilled.

"Understandable" She assured, patting him on the leg. Once again, Charlie stiffined uncomfortably. _Why was she touchingme so much? Not that it was a bad thing..._

"So, how's Aaron doing? Hurly said he's been crying alot" Charlie questioned curiously, setting his plate aside. "Yeah." Claire nodded, feeling a little guilty at her inability to keep him quiet.

"I think he misses you" She admitted sheepishly, giveing him an apologetic look. Charlie couldn't help but smile. For a moment it was quiet.

"Claire, can I ask you something?" Charlie questioned, turning to her with a nervous look. "Sure" she replied with a shrug.

"When we...well, _after _we had the argument, Lock told me you talked to him. He told me you said "We're not married". Why did you say that?" Charlie questioned, bitting on his lower lip.

"I don't know, Charlie. I was...frustrated" Claire explained, not really wanting to get into it. "I know that, but...why married? Why _the word _married?" Charlie persisted, not satisfied with her initial response.

"Well...we're not. I mean sure, we hang out alot. Pretty much all the time. And your are kind of like a father to Aaron...but, that dosen't mean we'er married. You've never even kissed me-" Claire quickly closed her mouth._I said it. Oh god, why didI say it? It just flew out. Word vomit. Shit._ Charlie gave her a surprised and confused look.

"I...I didn't know you wanted me too" He replied, still pretty shocked. "Well...do you want too?" She questioned, raiseing an eye brow at him curiously. He was silent for a moment. He took a deep breath, and nodded. Claire felt her cheeks go red.

"Ok then..." She cocncluded with a shrug, unable to keep the smile of her face.Charlie nodded as well, altough he had no clue what she meant.

_She wanted to kiss him. Well, she wanted him to kiss her. Did she mean now? If she meant now she would keep looking at me, right? For christ sake, man, just do it!_

Charlie closed his eyes, started to lean in. She pulled away. Shit. You odiot. He opened his eyes.

"Not...not now. To awkward." Claire confirmed, shakeing her head. "Right" Charlie nodded, and shifted uncomfortably.

"But...Later. Definetly later" Claire confirmed, reasureingly. Charlie turned to her, smiling in releif. "Right" He nodded in agreement. "I'll...see you later" He confirmed, and rose to his feet.

"Later" Claire replied with a smile, blushing bright red as she watched him walk away.


	3. wondering

Charlie must have been makeing an effort to stay away from her after their last conversation, because he didn't show up at dinner. Usualy, he came to her shelter and brought her a plate, but not tonight. Tonight he was no where to be found. She was forced to go get dinner herself and eat it back at her shelter, alone with Aaron.

Once she'd finished feeding him and herself, she put Aaron in his crib and rocked him to sleep. She wondered just how long Charlie thought "later" was supose to be. Oh well. She couldn't blame him. The poor boy wasprobably just as nervous as she was. He was probably off asking everyone and their mother for advice.

After all, as conceided as Charlie acted some times, he didn't seem to have much faith in himself. By the time he got around to seeing her again he'dprobably be so full of advice from everyone on the island that he'd explode. Or emplode. One or the other. Either way, he was thinking about Claire. That thought was reasureing.

Claire smiled down at her baby, who feel asleep without any fuss, and crawled over to her blanket and pillow. She laid on her side, faceing the crib, and closed her eyes. Letting her mind wonder. Wonder about Charlie. Wonder where hewas and what he was doing. And most importantly, wonder why he wasn't with her.

She was so cought up in her wondering that she hadn't heard the foot steps approaching or the fact that someone had laid down beside her. That is until he laid his hand on her shoulder, gently catching her attention.

Claire's eyes flew open instinctively, and she rolled onto her back in confusion, comeing eye to eye with Charlie, who was leaning over her, stareing at her with his intense, deep blue eyes. The sight took her breath away. She'd barely gotten it back when he closed his eye and lowered his head, pressing his lips to hers. There it goes again.

Once the initial shock of his kiss passed, Claire was able to move. She moved her lips with his, makeing sure he didn't try to pull away. She let her hands wonder over his shoulders and run through his messy blonde hair. His hands were wondering, too. Wondering across her cheek, through her hair, down her neck, down her shoulder, down her arm, up her shirt, across her bare stomach. Claire let out gasp and leaned her head back against the pillow.

Their lips broke, leaving them both breathless. For a moment they just laid there, breathing, recovering. Slowly, a smile crept across Claire's face. Her heart was beating 20 miles per hour. She felt great. Exspecaly when he gave her the last little peck, then abruptly sat up.

"Where are you going?" Claire questioned in a dreamy wisper, feeling a little dizzy as she sat up. Charlie turned back to her and shoot her a cheeky grin. "Later, Claire" Was all he said in reply, before he shoved his hands in his pockets and traveld about a yard and a half away to the pile of blankets where he usualy slept.

"Later" She replied in a dazed delay, half wishing he would have stayed. Oh well. It was better to take it slow. She was just happy he showed up. Now she'd have something good to dream about. She fell back into the comforter and her pillow and curled up again, ready to go back to sleep. She laid there for about a minute before she opened her eyes, seeing Charlie through the bars.

He was laying flat on his back, without any blankets over his, shifting consistantly as he stared up at the stars. He looked so fidgity. She wasn't surprised. Charlie was always fidgety, but exspecaly when he was nervous. And wakeing a girl up in the middle of the night just to give her your first kiss must have been pretty nerve-wrecking for the poor boy.

She woundered if he'd be able to get any sleep tonight. With the way he tossed and turned, it didn't seem likely. This would be the fourth night he'd go without sleep because of her. Claire was not about to let that happen.

Claire balled up her blanket and tucked it under her arm, walking the short distance over to where charlie laid, and laid down beside him. He sat up, leaning back on his elbows, and watched in confusion as the she pulled her blanket around her and got herself situated. Without a word, she slid her arm under him and laid her head on his chest, letting the other hand fall flat beside her head, right over his heart, witch was raceing.

Claire closed her eyes and smiled, feeling him shift as he laid back down, carefull not to crush the arm that was under him as he did so. Slowly, he relaxed and wraped his arm around her, letting his chin rest ontop of her head. It was much later that they both feel asleep.


End file.
